diff --git a/config/initializers/006-ensure_login_hint.rb b/config/initializers/006-ensure_login_hint.rb
index 895f451ffe..af583da87a 100644
--- a/config/initializers/006-ensure_login_hint.rb
+++ b/config/initializers/006-ensure_login_hint.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 # Some sanity checking so we don't count on an unindexed column on boot
-if User.limit(20).count < 20 && User.where(admin: true).human_users.count == 0
+if ActiveRecord::Base.connection.table_exists?(:users) &&
+   User.limit(20).count < 20 &&
+   User.where(admin: true).human_users.count == 0
+
   notice =
     if GlobalSetting.developer_emails.blank?
       "Congratulations, you installed Discourse! Unfortunately, no administrator emails were defined during setup, so finalizing the configuration <a href='https://meta.discourse.org/t/create-admin-account-from-console/17274'>may be difficult</a>."
@@ -17,6 +20,4 @@ if User.limit(20).count < 20 && User.where(admin: true).human_users.count == 0
     SiteSetting.global_notice = notice
     SiteSetting.has_login_hint = true
   end
-
-  # we may be booting with no User table eg: first migration, just skip
-end rescue nil
+end